Big Wilson
Big Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Malcolm John Wilson, Jr. October 3, 1924 |
| Died | October 5, 1989 (aged 65) Selma, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Other names | Big John Wilson |
| Alma mater | Ithaca College |
| Occupation(s) | Disc jockey, announcer, late-night movie host |
| Known for | Announcer for Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler |
| Spouse | Jody |
| Children | John Jeffrey Wilson |
Big Wilson (born Malcolm John Wilson, Jr.; October 3, 1924 – October 5, 1989) was an American radio personality.[1] He worked as a disc jockey at WNBC AM in New York City from the early 1960s until 1974 and moved to Miami in 1975 where he worked for WIOD and WCIX-TV.[2] He was one of the last two hosts of the NBC network program Monitor. Prior to moving to NYC, Wilson and his wife Jody lived in a riverfront home in Rocky River, Ohio. He commuted to Cleveland where he was the leading radio personality for some years.[where?] Tim Conway and other well-known persons visited their home.
Big Wilson served as the announcer for the weekly television program, Jack Horkheimer: Star Hustler. During the program's opening sequence, Wilson's voice was the one which was heard reading the following poem:
Some people hustle pool,
Some people hustle cars, But have you ever heard about
The man who hustles stars?
After Big Wilson's death in 1989, Star Hustler continued to use Wilson's pre-recorded voice in the television program's introduction as a "living memorial" to the man.[3] This ended in 1997 when the show was renamed Jack Horkheimer: Star Gazer. Wilson, who was 6 foot 6 tall, and weighed more than 300 pounds, died from a heart attack, two days after this 65th birthday at a hotel in Selma.
References
- ^
"Big Wilson, 65, Disc Jockey, Late-night Television Host". Sun Sentinel official site. Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Sun Sentinel. 7 October 1989. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
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"Big Wilson Dies at 65; Ex-NBC Disk Jockey". New York Times official site. New York, New York: New York Times. 7 October 1989. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
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"ONLY IN FLORIDA - What ever happened to... Jack Horkheimer, The Star Hustler". Orlando Sentinel official site. Orlando, Florida: Orlando Sentinel. 19 July 1992. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
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External links
- New York Times obituary, October 7, 1989
- Sun Sentinel obituary, October 7, 1989
- Big Wilson's last show on WNBC, March 15, 1974
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